Blue Nile Names Jason Goldberger President and CEO

Experienced merchandising and digital executive tapped to lead next phase of growth

 Harvey Kanter to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors

SEATTLE, June 08, 2017 -- Blue Nile, a leading retailer of diamonds and fine jewelry, today announced the appointment of seasoned merchandising and digital executive Jason Goldberger as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective Monday, June 12, 2017. Goldberger succeeds Harvey Kanter, who will serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors and continue to play an important role in the strategic direction of the company.

Goldberger brings to Blue Nile more than 20 years of executive leadership in merchandising, digital innovation, marketing, and product management across leading online retail organizations including Target, Gilt Groupe, Hayneedle, and Amazon. He mostly recently served as Chief Digital Officer and President of Target.com, where he was responsible for digital strategy and execution.

“Blue Nile has offered customers unsurpassed value in an easy, intuitive shopping experience for nearly 20 years. I am truly excited to lead the company in deepening our relationship with customers to accelerate the growth of our business,” said Goldberger. “We will continue to build on our leadership position to drive profitable growth through enhanced marketing, investments in the user experience, improved sourcing, and a continued focus on offering the most compelling diamond and fine jewelry assortment in the world.”

“As the Board and I discussed succession planning, we agreed this is the right time to bring in a new CEO to lead the company’s next phase of growth,” said Kanter. “Jason is an experienced leader with deep ecommerce experience who will work closely with the team to innovate, secure, and further our position as the smartest, easiest, and most pressure-free way for consumers to buy a diamond. I look forward to working with him as Blue Nile continues to create superior customer experiences.”

“Jason has the experience and leadership capability to work with the team to continue to transform the consumer experience of purchasing diamonds and fine jewelry online,” said David Humphrey, a Managing Director at Bain Capital Private Equity and a member of the board. “We thank Harvey for his strategic vision and look forward to his continued contributions to the success of the business.”

“We are investing strategically to expand and improve Blue Nile’s ecommerce platform, which is critical to grow and reach more consumers,” said Ryan Cotton, a Managing Director at Bain Capital Private Equity and a member of the board. “As online jewelry research increases over time, more-informed consumers will appreciate Blue Nile’s unique value proposition.”

Goldberger, age 45, is a graduate of Colby College, and currently serves as a member of the board of directors of American Family Insurance.

About Blue Nile, Inc.
Blue Nile, Inc. is a leading online jeweler. The company offers a smarter way to buy engagement rings, wedding rings, and fine jewelry by providing in-depth educational materials and unique online tools that place consumers in control of the jewelry shopping process. Blue Nile has some of the highest quality standards in the industry and offers thousands of independently-graded diamonds and fine jewelry at prices significantly below traditional retail. Blue Nile can be found online at www.bluenile.com and in its Webrooms in Long Island, New York, White Plains, New York, Portland, Oregon, Fairfax County, Virginia, and Bellevue, Washington.

Media Contacts:

For Blue Nile: 
Josh Holland 
(206) 336-6773 
[email protected]